<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>A Demon At Rest by fractalgeometry</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24557629">A Demon At Rest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fractalgeometry/pseuds/fractalgeometry'>fractalgeometry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Existence (or lack thereof) Of Demons And Angels [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman &amp; Terry Pratchett</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asexual Relationship, Communication, Crowley Is Good At Feelings (Good Omens), Crowley is Good With Kids (Good Omens), Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Established Relationship, Hurt Crowley (Good Omens), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Aziraphale (Good Omens), Rated T for minor swearing, hair petting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:54:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,972</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24557629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fractalgeometry/pseuds/fractalgeometry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When they're finally alone, after the summoning, after the rescue, after the explaining, Crowley and Aziraphale get a chance to check in with each other properly. They get to talk. They get to take care of each other. They get to settle back into safety.</p><p>Takes place immediately after Demons Don't Exist.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Existence (or lack thereof) Of Demons And Angels [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>175</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Demon At Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I had the idea for this fic before I even finished the previous one, and somehow when I sat down to write it the words came out almost just how I wanted them, which isn't common. In short, I absolutely love this and I hope you do too.</p><p>This might be a little confusing if you haven't read the first fic in the series, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24409117">Demons Don't Exist</a>, so I recommend popping over to check that out if you haven't already. :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Crowley sank into the sofa with a carefully quiet sigh. He could see Aziraphale’s back through the doorway; the angel’s desire to always see people out the door was clearly at war with his displeasure at letting Crowley out of his line of sight. Not that he knew that, probably. It was one of those patterns that Crowley had picked up on. There were a lot of those, once you knew someone well enough. </p><p>Crowley heard Max’s subdued voice saying goodbye. Poor kid had had quite the day. Crowley hoped being with his nice, safely human family would help him bounce back a little. ‘Course, he’d be back tomorrow. He always came back, and Crowley was pretty sure that this time would be no different. That relieved him, somehow. He didn’t <em> want </em> to lose Max. He’d have gone out to see the kid off himself, but standing was rather more than he was up to at the moment. </p><p>Aziraphale returned then, eyes tracking quickly from the chair, where Crowley <em> had </em> been, to the sofa, where he was <em> now. </em></p><p>Correction: Standing for longer than was strictly necessary to move from the chair (which was only big enough for him) to the sofa (which was big enough for him and probably also a small car) was rather more than he was up to at the moment. </p><p>Aziraphale was hovering. Crowley watched him for a moment, then said, “Kid gone?”</p><p>Aziraphale nodded, and Crowley let out another sigh. This one was much bigger, and gustier, and more exhausted. He hadn’t wanted to worry Max, so he had spent the last two hours drawing on his years of experience at hiding what he was feeling. It was nice to know he hadn’t lost his touch, but now he was quite ready to go back to being retired and slightly freer with those feelings.</p><p>He lifted one arm and made grabby hands at Aziraphale, who was both still standing and beginning to look a little lost. “C’mere.”</p><p>Aziraphale smiled a little and joined Crowley. He settled in, laying one arm along the back of the sofa. Crowley took this for the invitation they both knew it was and moved closer until he could lean against Aziraphale’s side. Aziraphale brought his arm off the back of the sofa and then stopped, letting it hover in midair. </p><p>“Is there anything that I should specifically avoid, dear?” he asked.</p><p>Crowley grunted, considering. “Waist up’ll be fine,” he said finally. The blasted circle had zapped his leg good, but he was pretty sure his quick reaction times had protected the rest of him. </p><p>Aziraphale curved his arm around Crowley’s middle, putting a gentle pressure on. Crowley sighed again, a tension-releasing sigh, and curled a little closer. </p><p>“What happened?” Aziraphale asked softly.</p><p>“Not much,” Crowley said. Then, knowing that Aziraphale really did want an answer, he went on. “Got summoned. Bunch of teenagers, looked like they were going to faint when I showed up. I tripped the landing like an <em> idiot-” </em></p><p>Aziraphale’s arm tightened warningly.</p><p>Crowley huffed. “I tripped the landing like I’d never been summoned before-”</p><p>Aziraphale’s arm relaxed.</p><p>“-and swung into the edge on accident.” He stopped and inhaled sharply, remembering how much it <em> hurt. </em> </p><p>Aziraphale pressed a light kiss into his hair. Crowley tipped his head back and smiled, a little wanly, at his partner. </p><p>“Anyway. Hurts like a bitch, that does. Then I stalled them for a few minutes - not that hard, they were terrified anyway - until you showed up. I must say, I’m a fan of how you’ve upped your response time over the years. Makes the whole thing a lot better.”</p><p>“I’ve had some experience,” Aziraphale murmured. “I can sense you better now. And it’s easier to know you’re in trouble when you disappear before my very eyes after yelling ‘<em>fuck, </em> not summoning!’.” </p><p>Crowley laughed. “You don’t say?”</p><p>Aziraphale smiled at him. Then he sobered again. “What about Max? When did you see him?”</p><p>“Ah, Max.” Crowley tipped his head to stretch his neck, and Aziraphale obligingly shifted his arm to make room. “He saw me first, believe it or not. Recognized me even as whatever showed up in a random summoning circle. That kid’s too smart for his own good, angel.”</p><p>“Not with proper guidance,” Aziraphale said, faux-piously. </p><p>Crowley snorted. “So I’m standing there, trying to figure out just what I’m up against, when I hear this way-too-familiar voice say my name, so I turn around and he looks like the only reason he’s still upright is he’s too shocked to remember to fall down. I told him off right then and there.” He smiled wryly. “It’s like a kneejerk reaction with that kid. Walked him through what he did wrong and everything. He couldn’t figure out the whole ‘why is Crowley standing in the demon summoning circle’ thing, though, and then I had to change tacks and talk down the gung-ho kid with the notes.”</p><p>Aziraphale shuddered. “I don’t know how they got a circle to even work with just notes like that. It’s so easy to mess up even with a book! You could have been harmed. <em> They </em> could have been harmed.”</p><p>Crowley had been trying very hard not to think about that. “Well, I wasn’t and neither were they. Unless you count whatever you did.” He elbowed Aziraphale lightly, playfully.</p><p>“I lost my temper,” Aziraphale said primly. “They had you in a makeshift summoning circle and they had no idea what they were doing. They’ll all be quite all right after a good night’s sleep. And have a terrible aversion to summoning demons, I suppose.”</p><p>“Thanks for leaving Max out,” Crowley said quietly. “I know you didn’t want to-”</p><p>“In the moment.”</p><p>“In the moment,” Crowley acquiesced. “Just...it was time. He’s practically our kid. He can handle it.”</p><p>“I know he can,” Aziraphale said. “You were right. You were...what do they call it? The cool head, the voice of reason-”</p><p>“Oi, stop it,” Crowley grumbled. “Demons aren’t supposed to be the voice of reason.”</p><p>It was an old argument, and at this point mostly a playful one. They both knew it. </p><p>Aziraphale giggled. “Whatever you say, dear.”</p><p>Crowley grumbled some more, just nonsense sounds that he could make while burrowing deeper into Aziraphale’s side. Aziraphale pulled him a little closer and they sat in silence for a minute.</p><p>“Did I frighten him, do you think?” Aziraphale asked finally.</p><p>“Probably,” Crowley said. “Not too much more than I already had, I think.”</p><p>“I was awfully curt,” Aziraphale said, a little shamefacedly. “He was so afraid, and I completely ignored that.”</p><p>“Hey, hey, none of that,” Crowley said, shifting a little more upright and wincing as the magical burns on his leg twinged. “You were protecting me. He stayed in the house, remember? When we left him in the kitchen? He could have bolted, but he didn’t. He still trusted us.”</p><p>“I suppose,” Aziraphale said. </p><p>“Besides,” Crowley continued. “He kind of deserved it. We literally just told him not to do the thing that we caught him doing.”</p><p>Aziraphale’s mouth thinned again. “He ignored us so blatantly.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Crowley said. “But the whole reason we’ve got such a good relationship with him is we don’t act like authority figures. We totally turned that on its ear yesterday.”</p><p>“I know you’re right,” Aziraphale said.</p><p>“‘Course I am,” Crowley teased. “And to be fair, we, of all people, should know about questioning authority.”</p><p>Aziraphale swatted his shoulder absently. “I know. I just have trouble remembering that when something puts you in unnecessary danger.”</p><p>“I know,” Crowley said, quieter again. “It’s mutual.”</p><p>Aziraphale pulled him closer again, and they were quiet for several minutes.</p><p>“He’s a good kid,” Crowley said finally.</p><p>“A most remarkable young man,” Aziraphale agreed.</p><p>More minutes. The sun lit up the room as it sank past the window, then threw shadows on the way out. </p><p>“Would you like supper tonight? Or something to drink?”</p><p>Crowley was currently at an angle that was something between sitting up and lying down, and had him leaning quite comfortably on Aziraphale. “Don’t particularly want to move.”</p><p>“You want to stay on the sofa all night?”</p><p>Crowley grunted.</p><p>“Or would you rather go up to bed where you can lie down properly?”</p><p>“I don’t do anything <em> properly.” </em></p><p>Aziraphale huffed. “I’m more than happy to hold you all night, dearest, but it seems to me that it would be more comfortable in bed. I can even pet your hair then.”</p><p>Crowley groaned and pulled himself upright. “Bastard,” he said feelingly. “You know that’s not playing fair.”</p><p>Aziraphale gave him one of his most smug looks and stood up. “I’m going to make some tea and maybe have a sandwich or something. Would you like anything?”</p><p>“I’ll have some tea,” Crowley said. </p><p>He moved down the sofa so he could see into the kitchen, unwilling to walk more than he had to, but also unwilling to be out of sight of Aziraphale. The angel was always overprotective after something so unpredictable and potentially dangerous as a summoning, and Crowley knew being in sight could help soothe that. If it helped him too, well, that was something that he was able to admit, these days. Sometimes.</p><p>He watched Aziraphale move about the kitchen, glancing out every few seconds to note Crowley’s continued presence. A short while later he brought out the tea and his sandwich. They sat on the sofa to eat. Aziraphale absolutely refused to eat in bed, despite Crowley pointing out on several occasions that crumbs could be miracled away (“It’s the <em> principle </em> of the thing, Crowley!”), and even the sofa was pushing it. Crowley appreciated the concession as he drank his tea and watched Aziraphale.</p><p>The problem with summoning circle burns is that there wasn’t anything he could do about them. Ordinary injuries tended to be temporary at worst, easily miracled away, but these were there for a full healing time. They would heal, thank something, but until they did he was stuck with them. Which meant pain. Crowley didn’t like pain. He was good at dealing with it, of course. But he didn’t like it.</p><p>Still, with Aziraphale’s help he made it upstairs to the bedroom and watched as Aziraphale snapped himself into pajamas. </p><p>“Can you get your own, dear?” Aziraphale asked.</p><p>“I’d rather not risk it tonight,” Crowley admitted. He gave Aziraphale an upwards nod, answering the unasked question. “Go ahead.”</p><p>As a rule, they didn’t do miracles like changing each other’s clothes. At some point that had changed to include a “without asking”, so Crowley had answered. He closed his eyes as Aziraphale snapped, then opened them to slide farther into bed, now dressed in soft but suitably black pajamas. </p><p>Aziraphale settled down on his side of the bed and raised his arm invitingly. Crowley slithered under it and let out a sigh, relaxing into the softness of his bed and his partner. Aziraphale selected a book out of the stack on his bedside table and opened it expertly in one hand. </p><p>For a while, neither of them moved, except for Aziraphale turning pages. It was a familiar routine, combining their favorite nighttime activities to include one another, and Crowley was happy to let himself get lost in it.</p><p>“You promised me hair petting,” he groused eventually, having just remembered this fact.</p><p>Aziraphale looked down at him. “Ah, I did, didn’t I?” He shifted so that the arm he had around Crowley could reach to stroke the demon’s red hair.</p><p>“Bastard,” Crowley grumbled again, fondly. </p><p>Aziraphale tugged gently on his hair in a silent, playful reprimand. Crowley smirked and let his head relax further, pillowed on his angel. </p><p>And so the night passed, filled with only the sound of turning pages and the comforting, solid feeling of being right with someone you love.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please comment if you have anything to say! I love hearing from you, especially on stories I enjoy as much as this one.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>